>> Tuesday, November 16, 2010

NEW THINGS:

I got new glasses. I couldn't wait until my next regularly scheduled appointment. Stephen HATED my old glasses. And, really, so did I. We affectionately called them my "angry glasses" because I always look so, well, angry when I wear them.

The new ones are certainly dorky. C.e.r.t.a.i.n.l.y. But I'd rather be a dork than a monster. And though I looked around for quite a while, I happily chose one of the cheapest pairs in the store. Always fantastic to spend less. Means more money for other things, like food and gym memberships!

Other "new" stuff:

I'm now in love with coffee. I don't know how it happened. But Starbucks Peppermint Mocha (with soy) is partially responsible.

Steff (from Steff Says) just celebrated her 27th birthday! And she also wrote out all these awesome goals for herself. I'm going to follow her example and set some of my own.

Goal One: Take a hot yoga class by the end of November. Hold me to it, peoples!

Knee isn't better. I ran a grand total of 8 miles last week. (To put it in perspective: That's the typical length of ONE out of FIVE of my "normal" training runs.) Still in pain after mile 2. I will be spectating at the race this weekend. (Anyone else going to watch Philly?)

Still aqua jogging up a perfect storm in the pool. It's getting easier (mostly talking about the mental part), but still haven't reached my happy place.

(Speaking of happy places.) Thank you all for your comments on my recent post related to how I hate cross-training (The Physical AND the Mental). You've shown me that eventually I may feel better about it all!

SHOPPING: I found a Lululemon-ish jacket at Target this weekend. It's so cool, I just had to share. Also, it's only $42. I have already worn it twice. In two days.

And all you English geeks out there. Yes. It bugs me, probably more than it should, that I didn't write this list in parallel structure. Haha.

PHOTOS WITH FRIENDS . . .

. . . and one cute baby! The last time we saw Luke (or The Lukester, as he's better known by close family and friends) was over the summer. That was over 4 months ago!

Since, he's grown. SO MUCH!

I had a ton of fun shooting this beautiful family.
Maybe even got a touch of -- GASP -- baby fever!

VISITS WITH FAMILY:

We also visited my grandparents. Isn't my grandma super stylish? I definitely inherited my love of fashion from her. They made us an awesome lunch (completely with more than just one dessert). And we're headed back for Thanksgiving next week!

HEALTHY STUFF:

I started drinking apple cider vinegar daily to help with my skin (among all the other health benefits). We've visited the topic of my angry skin before. I even made a mask to help.

Helps with weight control – Raw Apple Cider Vinegar taken before meals will speed up the metabolism. (Source)

All I do is drop 2 teaspoons of organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar into a large glass. Then fill with water. I don't use a sweetener, but you can throw a little maple syrup or honey in the mix. Anyone else experiment with this healthy drink? It may be all hype, but it gets enough online exposure, so I figured it'd be worth a guzzle.

FROM STEPHEN:

Registration for Boston 2011: Accepted. He's OFFICIALLY in. That's really all there is to write about it. Qualifying time was 2:55:00. He's incredible. And wicked fast. Watch out, Boston.

CREAMY (AND QUICK) PUMPKIN SOUP

This recipe makes a huge tub-o-soup. Enough for two days of lunches (as a side). Or one big bowl as a meal. Total calories: 370 (easy to figure out because I just looked at all the cans!). But you'll be surprised how filling it is!

What you'll need . . .

1 to 2 cups baby spinach

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup canned corn kernels (low sodium, drained and rinsed)

1 teaspoon yellow curry powder Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . .

Over low-medium heat, wilt spinach in the soy sauce.

Then pour in the pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, and vegetable broth. Raise heat to medium-high.

Stir in the corn. Then season with the curry powder, salt, and pepper.

What did you do over the weekend? I'm somewhat overwhelmed because I realized Thanksgiving is next week. And then a landslide into the holiday season, really. So much to do to prepare. But it's always madness. With lots of cookies -- so it's bearable! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.